BEIJING, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Apart from the regular prevention and control measures taken in general medical institutions, some special work needs to be carried out in mental health institutions, said a Chinese expert on Monday.

File photo: VCG

Mental health institutions should cooperate and consult with local hospitals that are capable of treating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), said Shi Xiaoming with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention at a press conference.

For outpatients, the number of follow-up visits at the mental health institutions should be reduced. For inpatients, the length of their stay should be shortened, said Shi.

Shi stressed that the newly admitted patients with mental disorders should be observed separately for 14 days before being transferred to the general wards to avoid importing the virus.

The management and treatment of the inpatients, especially those with severe mental disorders, should be strengthened, and their number of activities should be reduced to prevent spreading the virus within the hospitals, said Shi.

Patients with severe mental disorders must be immediately put in quarantine if suspected or confirmed to be infected and transferred to designated medical institutions for treatment, Shi added.